Minor League Baseball

[haveacigar]

I'm really disappointed that Champaign-Urbana doesn't have an affiliated minor league team (or actually, a minor league team of any kind). Lansing was good for that. The Peoria Chiefs are the closest Midwest League team. There's a Frontier League team in Normal which is a little bit closer, but they aren't affiliated.

Indianapolis is like 120 miles away, they're the closest AAA team. But if I'm driving that far, I might as well just go to US Cell or Wrigley.

[OregonDuck1989]

Wish I lived closer to a minor league team. The Rockies rookie league affiliate the Casper Ghosts and their AAA affiliate the Sky Sox in C-Springs are both about 2 hours away. Driving that far might as well just go to Coors like HAC said.

[haveacigar]

Might be up in the air though, I could be in a number of different places for the summer.

[Jeffy25]

we go to a few every year.

Peoria Chiefs
Memphis Redbirds
Savannah Sand Gnats

Cards fan here (we are about 2 hours from Memphis and other than STL, they are the closest city to us), married a Cubs fan (Peoria is on the way to her parents house in Blo-no), and Savannah is on our favorite city (we vacation there a lot).

I love going to minor league games....for many different reasons.

[CCamels73]

Speaking of minor league games, I usually go to several Hickory Crawdads games each year. Now though, with Bryce Harper, scheduled to make appearances in NC and some surrounding (but still close) states, I am planning to catch games in several locations this year. Kannapolis, Winston-Salem, and Greensboro with the outside chance that I go to Asheville or Kinston and possibly Salem VA and Charleston WV. It all depends on where Harper is playing, and of course if he really is the monster the hype would lead me to believe. And this is contingent upon what level he plays and at what time of the year. If he makes it to AA, that would take him out of my range since most of those teams are in the northeastern part of the country.
I've got my schedules printed out, an ok from the wife, now just waiting to hear where the phenom is going to play.

Can't wait for Spring!

[Jeffy25]

I'm really disappointed that Champaign-Urbana doesn't have an affiliated minor league team (or actually, a minor league team of any kind). Lansing was good for that. The Peoria Chiefs are the closest Midwest League team. There's a Frontier League team in Normal which is a little bit closer, but they aren't affiliated.

Indianapolis is like 120 miles away, they're the closest AAA team. But if I'm driving that far, I might as well just go to US Cell or Wrigley.

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We went to a Cornbelters game last year in Normal.

Really really nice field, not a bad team, it was a good time. But the team name was stereotypically bad

[filihok]

Shoulda went to opening night here in Alb tonight.

'Topes vs Omaha (AAA for the Royals).

Missing out on seeing:
Tray Robinson, Jerry Sands, and Dee Gordon on the 'Topes and:
Mike Moustakas, Eric Hosmer and Mike Montgomery on the Storm Chasers

[CCamels73]

AOW,

I'm going to be attending the Charlotte Knights game on Saturday. Any advice on parking or anything down at the stadium?

[Alloutwar]

Parking only costs $3 or $5 I think. Get there early, most Knights fans arrive 15mins before the game, so waiting in lines to get in (a ridiculous 1/2 mile line) can get silly.

Inside the park there isn't much, I'm usually right behind the visitor dugout. If you don't have the screen in front of you keep your head about you got the foul balls, they come back fast.

Last time I was there the scoreboard was a mess, just totally whacked out and worthless. Even the MPH display in LF was missing most of the lights. Sad shape that park is in now.

Funnel cake is ok, its all the way towards RF where the kiddy area is. Otherwise just get a sandwich/chicken tenders meal with fries, best deal there. Head upstairs and catch the view from up there, there's a lounge/buffet area up there too with AC i think.

Let me know if oyu need anything, I'm literally 4 minutes from the stadium. Have a good time!

[CCamels73]

Thanks for the info, AOW!

Since you live so close to the stadium, can you recommend a place to eat/drink before the game? I'm meeting up with a buddy of mine who is being deployed to Iraq, so I would like to treat him to a good "southern" restaurant. (He is from Seattle).

[Alloutwar]

Jim n nicks BBQ, right on 160 and steele creek. 2 miles from the stdaium max, not 5 mins

I know south american places right by the stadium, no southern cooking tho

[Red Sox Fan 734]

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We went to a Cornbelters game last year in Normal.

Really really nice field, not a bad team, it was a good time. But the team name was stereotypically bad

Hahaha one of my coaches who has played for the Calgary independent league team the past few years is playing there this year

Calgary used to have a AAA team for Seattle but they moved away when I was little Now its all independent ball for me lol

[actionjackson]

Hahaha one of my coaches who has played for the Calgary independent league team the past few years is playing there this year

Calgary used to have a AAA team for Seattle but they moved away when I was little Now its all independent ball for me lol

Calgary had some great players go through there back in the late 1980s, early 1990s. Never did make it to a game when I was close by from 1991-1994. Now I kind of wish I did. Been to Nat Bailey Stadium in Vancouver. Bee-u-ti-ful. Definitely a better fan experience than the Rogers Centre, but then again, that's not setting the bar too high. Just missed seeing Troy Glaus by mere days before he got called up to the show by the Angels in 1998, a little over a year after he was drafted third overall in the 1997 draft.

[actionjackson]

Of course the Calgary Cannons are now fili's hometown team, the Albuquerque (God's country [at least the surrounding environs ]) Isotopes. Among the Calgary alumni are: Bret Boone, "Moneyball" favourite Chad Bradford, Jay Buhner, Lee Guetterman, Erik Hanson, Bob Howry, Derrek Lee, Jon Lieber, Mike Lowell, Tino and Edgar Martinez, Harold Reynolds, Alex Rodriguez, Bill Swift, Danny Tartabull, and Omar Vizquel.

The Seattle Mariners, in particular, were very good to baseball fans in Calgary. Playoff teams in 1985, 1987, 1989, and 1991 that were loaded with future Mariners, but unfortunately couldn't win the whole enchilada, as they lost to the Vancouver Canadians (when they were a AAA team) twice, and the Albuquerque Dukes, and Tucson Toros (when they were a AAA team). Too bad they're gone, and too bad I missed them when I was an hour away.

Minor league baseball, outside of Vancouver which will probably always thrive, sadly died a slow, painful death in this country. But I wouldn't bet against it coming back, with Canadians Paul Beeston and Alex Anthopoulos leading the charge to make the Jays Canada's team again. They've already snagged the successful Vancouver franchise to be the short season A team in the Northwest League, and if baseball catches on again (and if interest in the Jays up here is any indication, it is), there could be more minor league teams up here, which would be really cool in this baseball junkie's mind.

[PiratesWalker]

Minor League Baseball is the best. Cheap tickets and usually some darn good baseball too! It's fun to see the possible future stars playing near your hometown. I live about 45 minutes away from the State College Spikes and the Altoona Curve both Pirates minor league teams. So I seen the stars of the Pirates come up.

The Curve is the best. Despite being AA level, the tickets are cheaper than the Spikes, who are single Low A IIRC and the food at the Curve is cheaper and taste better too. The quality of play at the Curve is much better. The problems with the Spikes are the fanbase spends more time drinking beers and talking on the concourse than rooting for the team and the local paper's sports writer regularly complains about the Pirates losing, and whining how the Pirates' brass never comes enough. Well, duh it is Single A, the brass comes around once a year, plenty enough in my mind. Curve fans are much more behind the team than Spikes' fans.

That way I go to games by myself so I can just relax and enjoy the game. Because whenever I'm with friends, all they want to do is drink beer and talk. Me, I go a game to watch the game. I can drink beer at home. But Minor League Baseball is a great affordable way to enjoy an evening.